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Wedding Weigh-In.

The Carbon Footprint of the Royal Wedding is 6,765 Tons of CO2. 28th April 2011

In two days, it is estimated that almost two billion people around the world will tune into see Prince William marry Kate Middleton. It is no surprise that hysteria surrounding the event has reached epic proportions as every detail of the big day has been covered by news services. However amid all the speculation about the dress, the route and the guest list, there hasn’t been much talk about the wedding’s carbon footprint and environmental impact – until now! According to The Telegraph, the wedding is set to generate more than 6,765 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) – that is 10 times the amount of greenhouse gases the Buckingham Palace produces for in a whole year and 1,230 times the annual emissions of the average UK household.

According to Landcare Research, which has developed an internationally recognized method of counting carbon emissions, a lot of the carbon is expected to be caused by the large number of international guests flying in from all over the world, as well as the vehicles that will be used to transport them and other well-wishers and tourists to the capital. Approximately 3,957 tonnes of CO2e will be generated by the 400,000 people travelling on the tube, while an additional 200,000 people are expected to arrive via national rail.

It is important to note that these figures don’t include the amount of CO2 that will be generated by street parties, power usage from the international media and the energy used to create millions of tons of Union Jack bunting and flags.